Harmony: Part I, The Answer
by knownbeforetime
Summary: The title is "The Answer" but the question is, “How could we lose?” Even though Voldemort was still roaming the countryside, seventh year was starting to look up. Harry was excelling in his training and had even been accepted into the Order and Auror trai
1. Preparing For Battle

**Harmony: Part I, the Answer**

By Morpher

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The title is "The Answer" but the question is, "How could we lose?" Seventh year was starting to look up. Harry had been accepted into the Order and Auror training. His best friends were engaged. However, these are dark times.

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A some what long A/N: This was very hard to write. I don't normally go in for depressing fics but this idea popped into my head and I had to write it down. 

Let's see, it's the end of 7th year, R/Hr (although it sickens me… : P ) but later it will be H/Hr and not under happy circumstances. Oh, and "spoiled" is a euphemism for pre-marital sex…

And finally, I have the first three chapters written plus several later chapters. I will not bother posting them if no one reviews. This story is intended to a sort of Star Wars-esque story. However, unlike Star Wars, I will start at the very beginning. If Part I is successful, then I will write Part II which will be called "A New Question". All this is entirely dependent on the reader's reviewing skills… Now, on with the show!

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**_The daughter of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger lives!_**

_**This forsaken child,**_

**_Conceived in brief moments of passion between these two lovely people,_**

_**Would not know the love her parents had to give.**_

**_She is a child of enormous power._**

**_She is a child of enormous intellect and logic._**

**_She is a follower of the last remnants of the dark._**

**_She is…_**

_**Harmony

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**_

**Prologue**

The defeat of Voldemort is just about a non-event in what is left of the wizarding world. Where his first defeat failed, his second defeat prevailed. The world is now surrounded in a mysterious energy with the soul of Voldemort at its head. It is no doubt a product of the Dark Arts.

Early on, the people looked to one Harry Potter. At the age of eighteen, he was fully trained to defeat the Dark Arts. It was well known that he had the personal tutelage of Albus Dumbledore. It was also known that the smartest witch that Hogwarts had ever seen was in the same class as, and best friends with, Harry. _How could we lose?_, the people asked themselves. This question was answered.

**Chapter 1**

Outside the world that The Trio inhabited in their last days of school, Harry's class, now seventh year and senior, was all abuzz about new relationships and other gossip. Draco and Pansy was the hot couple within Slytherin. In Gryffindor, it was Ron and Hermione.

The big rumor at the end of that year was that they were already married, having arranged a secret ceremony during Christmas. Everybody knew the rumor was silly but they could see real love between the two. Well, the truth was that Ron had indeed proposed on Christmas Day and Hermione lovingly, and rather tearfully, accepted. It was a relief to everybody when they announced, through the various social channels, that they had set a date in mid-summer. Even Hagrid, Dumbledore, McGonagall and various other faculty members had publicly offered their congratulations.

There were also more vicious rumors, from the Slytherin side of course, of Hermione being pregnant or having "been spoiled" as the reason for a wedding so quickly after school. Harry tried to stay close to his friends during this time of ups and downs. However, Harry was absent a lot because of his private lessons and even some missions for the Order.

Harry was supportive of Ron and Hermione's relationship. However, it was only because he thought he didn't deserve Hermione. What could he give her? More pain, more sorrow? She would undoubtedly become a target if they were to announce wedding plans. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Ron's humor and more down-to-earth outlook on life was the perfect compliment to Hermione's seriousness and "all-the-answers-are-in-a-book" outlook. The more Harry thought about it though, the more he realized that he needed her more and more.

Because he cared a lot for his two best friends, the rumors surrounding their upcoming nuptial were not the least of Harry's worries. Harry could see that most of the rumors concerned Hermione and hurt her the most. And so, it hurt him as well. There was no doubt in his mind that it was Draco that had started the rumors. Well, he did say something to the effect of, "It figures that the only wizard willing to look at that rotten little mudblood would be a Weasley. She's probably serviced the whole clan by now…" Harry often dreamed of performing an Avada Kedavra curse on Draco. He could probably do it too. Dumbledore had shown him all manner of wizardry in the last two years and they had delved pretty deeply into the Dark Arts. He could easily imagine Malfoy dead and he could easily imagine himself doing it.

Harry wanted so much to be near when Hermione cried and Ron raged about the hurtful stories. But there was work to be done. Much of what Harry, Dumbledore, and the Order had been doing the past few weeks involved setting up a defense plan for Hogwarts. There were many wards and shields on the school but they needed to be tested. It was a good idea too. Some were obsolete and were replaced with newer and stronger ones. Some were only meant to detract Muggles and would be no match for a powerful Death Eater. Some had simply worn down over time and needed to be renewed. The second step was to secure an evacuation plan. The Marauder's Map helped with that. With the reluctant help of Filch, the secret tunnels were cleared of debris, widened, and strengthened with wards and shields of their own.

There was talk of removing the Whomping Willow and cleaning out that passage. But that would be too obvious. Pettigrew, alive and well, knew what that tree was guarding. If word got to Pettigrew that the tree was torn down, then that might provide a clue that Hogwarts was preparing to do battle. If Voldemort figured that out, then he would most certainly want to test their preparations.

The next question was what to do with the students when they were in the tunnels. The proximity of Hogsmeade to Hogwarts more than certainly precluded a mutual attack. So, traveling all the way through the tunnels would be risky. Harry suggested portkeys to out of the way places. Dumbledore came up with a brilliant spell concoction for long range, password protected, 1 hour time-out portkeys. He mentioned that there were several old manors in various parts of France that would fit the student body for a short time. So each tunnel now led to a different part of France in case of attack. It was better than nothing since Voldemort couldn't be at Hogwarts and six different manors in France at the same time.

The plan was brilliant. All it needed was a test run to work out the unforeseen kinks. With a thousand students and roughly one-hundred-and-fifty staff, that made about 192 people per opening. It was tough but doable. That was precluding any possibility of some of those who might not make it to their escape routes. And by the way, as Harry once explained to a disturbed Hermione, house elves can Apparate from within Hogwarts so they didn't need help escaping.

All this planning had come about because of a dream Harry had. In the beginning of sixth year, Harry had resumed his Occlumency lessons, this time from Dumbledore. For a while, Voldemort was weakened by some of the measures the Order had taken in various parts of Europe. Harry was never exactly sure what happened because the Order still had trouble confiding in him then. However, at the end of sixth year, Voldemort had sent one last mental vision before the link was closed forever. It was a horrific battle. It was on Hogwarts soil. There were bodies everywhere, bodies of students and bodies of Hogsmeade citizens. Voldemort had created the images from Harry's own mind, that's how he knew. At the forefront were the severed heads of Albus Dumbledore and the recipient of the message, Harry Potter.

All through seventh year, Harry and Dumbledore focused on protecting the school. Harry provided a lot of input. Dumbledore provided several ideas of his own. Dumbledore also marveled at the marauder's map. Harry had never truly revealed it's presence to the headmaster before. The headmaster found it could prove very priceless and very dangerous. At least it would help in case of evacuation and to detect any intruders.

Dumbledore also took up the responsibility of teaching him Defense Against the Dark Arts. Dumbledore explained that the Dark Arts should not be automatically equated with evil. The effects of such magic could be quite helpful. The malevolent part is that it takes a part of yourself to cast such magic. One ultimately goes insane from prolonged exposure and eventually becomes evil. In this age of wands and other power-focusing and power-amplifying devices, it was no longer required to sacrifice yourself for your magic. In fact, a lot of Dark magic has been converted to the Light.

The secret to defense, Dumbledore had explained, was to make sure that you didn't absorb the sacrificial parts of Dark Wizards. The simplest defense against Dark Arts is to dodge spells cast by Dark Wizards. If you cannot dodge, then you try to throw them off. However, such things as the Avada Kedavra curse cannot be thrown off. These things are why Neville's parents are in the condition they are. They not only suffered unimaginable horrors, they had absorbed the parts that the offending wizards had sacrificed. Without a wand or a shield to protect them, they absorbed the brunt of it. As Harry had seen, it drove them into insanity.


	2. One Last Laugh

**Chapter 2**

When schoolwork didn't keep her busy, Hermione made arrangements for the wedding. A lot of accommodations had to be made because of Hermione's muggle heritage. She stifled a chuckle every now and then at the thought of gamma and grandpa slack-jawed at the sight of robed and slightly odd figures entering a sanctuary. She had a picture in her mind of one side of the sanctuary wearing nice semi-formal wear and the other side wearing beautiful dress robes. It was either that or teach the enormous Weasley herd to dress in muggle style. Which would be odder? Robed figures or wizards in nightgowns and rubber boots?

As the day got closer, Hermione became more frantic. There were NEWT's to take care of and a wedding to plan. NEWT's and weddings were perhaps the two most stressful things in a modern young witch's life and Hermione had managed to schedule them both in the same semester!

All the silly little rumors hurt Hermione. She thought it was so silly; no, stupid and insulting, that the student body would carry on about the future of the future Mr. and Mrs. Ron Weasley. It hurt to see that they pay no attention to Harry. It was true that Harry didn't want one more minute of celebrity. However, nowadays, the only support that Harry got was from Dumbledore, Ron, and Hermione. The student body had pretty much forgotten about him. _The "being spoiled and/or pregnant" rumor doesn't help my state of mind either_, Hermione thought.

In the midst of all this, she tried to keep in touch with Harry. She, not surprisingly, felt like she alienated him when she announced her engagement to Ron. She always tried to remind him that Ron and her were still his friends and could come to them with anything. However, at breakfast, Hermione wasn't too worried.

The next test of the defense system would be on May 25th of that school year. The first few tests had gone pretty smoothly with everybody accounted for at their appropriate French locations. There were some skirmishes in the Slytherin lines but that was to be expected. The plan was to have a staff member go first. Then have first years through seventh years go in. And then have remaining staff members go in. Seventh years and staff members would be prepared to defend those ahead of them. There were two-hundred assorted objects in the tunnels that would transport one to France.

Harry planned to get up early that day to make final preparations with Dumbledore. As Dumbledore had said, "This is the last test. How it works today, good or not, will be the system used when we need it." So, any kinks that hadn't been worked out before had to be done before the drill that day or there would be no fixing them.

At 4 am, the day of final test, Harry reluctantly got out of bed and got dressed. He fumbled for his glasses, invisibility cloak, and map. He really didn't need the last two items because Harry basically had free reign of the castle (through Dumbledore) but he liked the privacy that the cloak and map afforded him. (Also, Harry felt he had a connection to his father and godfather when he used these items.)

Not fifteen minutes later, Harry made his way down to the common room and was halfway to the portrait hole when he spotted something odd. On the big couch, in front of the fire, Harry spotted his two best friends. Ron and Hermione were in such a loving embrace. They lay, stretched out along the couch, with Hermione's weight resting lightly on Ron. Hermione's head lay on Ron's chest and Ron's arms around Hermione's shoulders.

Harry knew that Ron and Hermione had vowed to wait until their wedding night. So he knew that nothing inappropriate had happened. In fact, Harry had walked in on this scene quite a few times. At first, he was jealous but quickly got over it. _This is supposed to be what I'm fighting for: Love._ Harry thought._ If I do my job right, then maybe they'll have a chance._

Suddenly, Harry was struck with a burst of inspiration. He found some spare parchment, quill, and ink and scribbled a note.

_Hey Ron,_

_I don't know what YOU'RE doing downstairs at four in the morning (wink, wink) but I'm going to see to the last defense test._

_See you guys at breakfast, hopefully._

_Your friend,_

_Harry_

Harry prided himself in his little innuendo and knew that it would not be unwelcome. Hermione might be a little embarrassed though but moments to laugh were so rare and priceless anymore. Harry folded the little note up and carefully placed it in Ron's hand. Harry knew it wouldn't fall out because Ron is a very sound sleeper. Also, the first thing Ron does when he wakes up is to clench his fists and stretch. So Harry had no doubts that Ron would discover the note.

Harry, with a smile on his face for the first time in days, perused the castles looking for the different tunnels. He made sure the shields and defensive enchantments worked. He even tried out one of the portkeys. He felt the familiar tug at his navel, only amplified about five times, and was instantly in a manor south of Paris. Once he was satisfied with his arrival, he created a portkey back home. (Yes, Dumbledore had even taught him that…)

Harry was feeling quite hungry when he got back to school. He was glad when he saw he had got back just in time for breakfast. He saw the Great Hall and wondered at its beauty. He saw the ceiling that mirrored the sky. He saw the dais where the professors ate. He saw the four long tables where one thousand students gathered each morning to eat breakfast. Today, it was as if he was seeing it for the first time. He knew that in about a month, he might never see it again.

Harry quickly spotted the Gryffindor table. His eyes ran along it until he saw Ron and Hermione and made his way over. When Harry sat down, Ron broke out in a grin and Hermione blushed.

"We found your little present, Harry," Hermione said.

"Oh, uh, what present?" Harry asked with a smile on his face.

"You know exactly what she's talking about, my friend," Ron said and the grin still on his face. Suddenly, the Trio broke out in laughter.

This was a rare moment between the tried and true Golden Trio. This was a moment of laughter. The Trio soon found themselves talking about old times. They started with first year and remembered how bossy Hermione was. There was fourth year and talk of the dreaded Yule Ball. It was an amazing sight to see the Trio laughing again. Harry had some color come back in his cheeks. _I should tease them more often,_ Harry thought.

They found themselves smiling halfway through Charms class. In turn, this brightened a few more of their classmates and Professor Flitwick himself. Professor Flitwick spoke with a brilliance the students hadn't seen since their third year. However, halfway through a complicated lecture on the Fidelius Charm, the alarm sounded.

It was a magically produced, high-pitched shriek that wailed through the hallways. Teachers, then students made their way down the corridors. The students were instructed to remain close to the walls. Staff, sixth years, and seventh years had their wands out ready to defend the younger students. Even though everyone expected the drill, everyone had a look of fear on their faces. They knew exactly what they were preparing for. This wasn't like a fire drill in a muggle primary school. They were preparing for war.

"Ron, Hermione? Do you know where to go?" Harry asked. His friends nodded yes. "Good. Go." Harry said.

Harry made his way to the tunnel that led to Honeydukes. He had his wand out and was watching every corner, every shadow. He couldn't cull himself into believing that this was only just a drill. Something was odd about this day. He could feel a darkness creeping behind the shadows. Something was just not right. The shadows were a little too shifty. However, Harry couldn't be bothered by vague intuition now. He needed to focus. He had to be prepared to defend the school. Also, he had no intention of leaving.

If Voldemort were to attack the school, Harry Potter must remain behind. Harry Potter must make the Dark Lord focus on him. It is as the prophecy says, him or me. A_nd hopefully my friends aren't in the crossfire when it happens,_ Harry said to himself. He had not told Ron or Hermione that he had remained behind.

Harry wandered around the school. He couldn't shake the creeping feeling. Maybe he wasn't wandering, maybe he was investigating. Harry certainly knew that part of this dark feeling came about because the school was empty. His footsteps echoed unmercifully loud on the stone floors. Harry could hear no lectures, no footsteps, no talking, only silence. But wait…


	3. Draco's Detour

**Chapter 3

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A/N: The chapter title is owned by JKR but it fits so well here. This chapter is all about Draco! This chapter starts out nicely and kind of falls apart at the end. Advice is welcome (but flames aren't)! Happy reading:)

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As the last defense test approached, Draco was excited. He had a new master now. He no longer had to pretend to be a charge of that Muggle-loving bastard Dumbledore. He had finally been given authority to mess with those little blood-traitor's heads. He was told exactly what to do. He would kidnap the blood-traitor Ron Weasley and make him pay for his crimes against _true_ wizard-kind. Why Ron Weasley? It would bring his best friend and so-called savior out of the confines and protection of the castle to come looking for him. Then, Voldemort would strike.

At the end of fifth year, the Dark Trio (consisting of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle) silently pledged their allegiance to Voldemort and his pure-blood aims. They would pay Potter back for sending the faithful to prison. Sixth year consisted of studying what they could find on Dark Arts and practicing them. If they had been at all observant, then they would have noticed that some of the selection was continually checked out by one Harry Potter.

At the end of sixth year, the Dark Trio of Hogwarts had been invited to come before their new master. They had received correspondence from someone called Wormtail in each of their manors. It was rather a pleasant shock to see a rat delivering letters instead of the usual owl. The letter was sealed with a Dark Mark and read similar to a Hogwarts Letter.

_To Mister D. Malfoy,_

_If you so wish to fully pledge your allegiance to me and become my new apprentice, then you will come before me at the appointed time and place. My assistant Wormtail will wait no longer than one hour for your reply._

Draco read the letter twice over. Then he went over to his father's writing desk and drafted his reply. He was thankful that his father had at least taught him to draft a reply to such an invitation. Draco's anger swelled every now and then because of his father. For the first fifteen years of his life, Lucius Malfoy had been all about appearances. He taught his family manners, or rather mannerisms, to display to the world. When his father gets enough gall to display his true colors, he doesn't stick around long enough to teach his only son. _I'll show you, father_, he said to himself.

He folded the letter and sealed it with the Malfoy seal and handed it to the rat that was waiting by his chair.

The night approached. He would fly there. He couldn't risk the Floo Network. He would fly under cover of night and wait for the next night to approach. This was not Draco's preferred method of transportation but none else was provided. He figured he could score points with his new master if he could get to the meeting place without being seen and without alerting the Ministry.

Oddly enough, Draco had no trouble admitting he was scared. _Courage and Bravery are Gryffindor faults. One day, the world will be run by fear and only fear. Bravery will have no place in the world I hope to rule with my new master._

He knocked on the door of an old house in a town called Reeves. A Death Eater opened the door and grabbed Draco's robes and hauled him into the foyer. In there, he saw his two comrades, Crabbe and Goyle. "Sit down and shut up," the Death Eater hissed. "I don't want to hear a word from any of you until you are called."

Draco's head snapped up at the voice. He recognized it very clearly from the many times it called him "insolent" or "thorn in his side".

"Father?" Draco questioned. All of a sudden Draco was on the floor with stars in front of his eyes. This death eater, father or not, had backhanded him.

"I said not another word. Do I make myself clear?" He said, trying his hardest to mute his anger. The three boys nodded and the death eater left.

Thirty minutes later, with Draco still nursing the red mark on his cheek, the Death Eater came back and motioned for Draco to go with him. Instantly, Draco stiffened up and took his hand away from his cheek. _Damn it! I can't show weakness. I have already failed twice!_

Draco followed; who he believed was his father, down a hallway. The Death Eater stopped at the very end and turned around. His hand whipped around to indicate a door on Draco's left. Draco stood in front of the door and braced himself and walked in.

Draco had, of course, heard the stories of just what Voldemort's face looked like. However, to see it in person was quite a nasty shock. In this room, there was a fireplace on the right lit with a magical fire, some heavily curtained windows in front, and in the middle was a chair. There was a robed figure sitting in this chair. All the rumors were true. Voldemort had snakelike features and pale skin and one could almost swear there were maggots or some sort of insect roiling around under his skin and robe.

Draco instinctively moved to the front of this chair and knelt down, with both knees touching the floor. "Uh… My master. I formally pledge my allegiance to you and you only. I am ready and willing to do your bidding," Draco sputtered out.

"_Crucio!"_ A raspy, high-pitched voice cried. Draco screamed and curled up in a fetal position. "You are not worthy to receive my mark. You're just a boy and no doubt will serve me as such. Do you know a Ronald Weasley?"

Draco was confused. What did he have to do with any of this? He didn't have long to think about it before another Cruciatus curse hit him.

"You will do as I say, boy! Do you miss your father? Well, you needn't worry because I am your father now. As your father, I require absolute obedience or there will be a most gruesome punishment. Now, do you know a blood-traitor named Ronald Weasley?" Voldemort began to raise his wand.

"_Please sir!_" Draco practically screamed. "Ronald Weasley is the worst of the blood-traitors. He spends every minute fawning over that loathsome Potter. It's disgusting!"

"Good. You're already learning some respect. Lucius didn't have much faith in you, said we should kill you before you cause too much trouble…" At this the Dark Lord started cackling. Voldemort continued, "You will watch Mr. Weasley and maybe cause a few problems for him. You will send me correspondence on his dealings once a month. I believe your eagle owl of yours knows where to go. Also, be watchful of that mindless bastard Dumbledore. Once he suspects you, he will _never_ back away. Now go! One of mine will escort you out."

"Thank you, my master," Draco said as he bowed his head.

The Death Eater that reminded Draco of his father escorted him back down the hall. Draco didn't dare say a word for fear of that hand coming across his cheek again. Without a glance toward Crabbe or Goyle, Draco walked out the door. Draco thought he heard the Death Eater mutter "fool" before the door was slammed behind him. With adrenaline pumping, Draco sprinted to his broom's hiding place and sped home.

Over the coming months, Draco did spread nasty rumors concerning Ron and Hermione's wedding. Draco did everything to trip Ron up. There were many curiously aimed hexes that flew between Draco and Ron. Even Hermione joined in on the fun at times.

In the beginning of spring semester of that year, the defense system was announced to the whole school. Draco, for a few happy moments, was dancing on air. He could tell his new master about the plan and… Well, when Draco went to put it all down on paper, he couldn't remember a thing. Dumbledore had locked the information in his very soul.

It was mid-March and Draco was growing anxious. He followed Ron everywhere. It seemed all Ron talked about was Quidditch and Hermione. Draco followed Ron to the Quidditch pitch to a little corner of the lake to an abandoned classroom on the second floor. He knew Ron's schedule, social group, and likely hangouts. He had sent all this on his master. However, he needed a way to get past the Fidelius Charm. Draco knew his master could sense the omission in his letters.

One day in May, Draco got a letter from his master.

_To my apprentice,_

_It is time to lure Mr. Potter out of the castle. Unfortunately, this requires luring Weasley out of the castle. You will kidnap Weasley and bring him to me._

Draco, with his knowledge of the defense system, knew just what he would do.


End file.
